City and county officials on Tuesday reported on progress made by the Camden County Police Department since it assumed full responsibility over public safety in the beleaguered city. According to Chief Scott Thomson, there has been one daytime homicide in Camden since May 1 this year, compared to the 11 that occurred between May 1 and July 31 in 2012.

“We realize this is just the beginning,” said Thomson during a press conference Tuesday afternoon at the police administration building on Federal Street. “What’s positive about it is that this is a large step forward.

“We will not rest or grow weary in our mission to reduce the number of crime victims and make our people feel safe.”

According to the county’s statistics, there have been 15 homicides in Camden from May 1 to July 31. That represents a 29 percent decrease from the same three-month time period in 2012.

However, it also means that half of the city’s 30 homicides so far in 2013 occurred in the three months since Camden transitioned from a city force to one run by the county. That represents an increase from 3.75 homicides per month from January through April to 5 per month since the county took over.

Still, the overall homicide rate in 2013 is down from last year, when Camden saw a record 67 homicides, which comes out to 5.6 per month.

Camden County police confiscated 74 firearms from May 1 through July 31, according to officials. (Staff photo by Jason Laday/South Jersey Times)

As of July 31 of this year, the homicide rate in Camden was 4.3 per month, which, if that figure remains steady, would also put the city below the previous record-setting year, 1995, which saw 58 homicides.

The county police has also seen success in its community policing efforts in the Parkside and Fairview neighborhoods, in which the same officers walk the streets each day, talking with residents.

According to the county’s figures, violent crime in Parkside decreased 67 percent in the past three months compared to last year, from 21 to seven incidents.

In Fairview, it was a 54 percent decrease, with six incidents of violent crime compared 13 last year.

In contrast to those neighborhoods, violent crime citywide dipped 11 percent May through July, compared to the same period last year.

According to the chief, the department plans to have similar community policing initiatives in the majority of Camden’s 21 neighborhoods after the current academy class graduates on Dec. 13.

“We have got a finite amount of resources, and these were two communities that had legitimate problems, but also that we have worked with previously,” said Thomson, explaining the decision to focus on Parkside and Fairview first, as opposed to other areas in the city. “They are legitimate neighborhoods with legitimate problems where we knew we could have an immediate effect.”

Thomson stated that much of the community policing strategy involves the “broken windows” theory.

“We’ve found that those committing the egregious crimes are also the ones committing the lesser crimes,” he said.

He later added, “Enforce the small things, and the big things fall into place as well.”

The county police department currently has 278 officers in Camden. According to Mayor Dana Redd, the city and county will reach their goal of 401 officers by the end of the year.

“It’s hard to believe it’s been three months since we ramped up the metro division in Camden,” said Redd. “In that time, we’ve seen dramatic changes and differences in Parkside and Fairview, and we’re working hard to bring 401 officers to Camden, and to a neighborhood near you, soon.”

Other statistics from May 1 to July 31 released by the county include:

• Total crime in the city — including violent and non-violent crime — has reduced 20 percent compared to the same three-month period in 2012, from 1,246 incidents to 997.

• Officers have confiscated 74 guns, which Thomson referred to as the “tools of the drug trade,” representing a 76 percent increase compared to the same time last year.

• According to Thomson, the absentee rate among officers since May 1 has been 4 percent. The overall absentee rate in 2012 was 30 percent, according to the chief.